Breaking down Charlotte vs. Chesapeake

By: Kelsey Doherty & Hannah McCaffrey, March 18, 2016

Breaking down Charlotte vs. Chesapeake

Week eight is upon us as we look to this weekend’s four action packed matchups, one upcoming game worth taking a second look at is the Chesapeake Bayhawks at Charlotte Hounds on Saturday Night. This game is expected to be a close one, especially with both teams trying to bounce back from recent losses.

Last week the Bayhawks dropped on 13-11 to the Denver Outlaws, but this loss should not be brushed off, as the Bayhawks managed to limit a high scoring Denver team to only 11 goals. Charlotte also dropped their weekend contest against the Boston Cannons, 15-13. Charlotte came out strong but dwindled in the second quarter and could never quite come back from the seven straight goals they surrendered.

Below is a breakdown and comparison of the two teams, looking at their stats and records to determine who may come out on top this week.

Offense:

Chesapeake:

Chesapeake boasts eight two-pointers on the season leading the league, but Charlotte is second with six.

Kyle Dixon is fourth in the league with 11 assists on the season. Chesapeake has a total of four attackman in the top twenty for assists.

The Bayhawks lay claim to three of the top ten scorers, including Ben Rubeor (ranked six, 23 pts), Drew Westervelt (tied for seventh, 21 pts), and Kyle Dixon (tied at tenth, 20 pts).

Kyle Dixon tops the league with four two-point goals, tied with Rochester’s Matt Striebel.

Chesapeake is coming off their worst loss of the season, 13-9. In their other two losses they were only down by one point, including an overtime loss to the Boston Cannons.

Chesapeake comes out strong in the first quarter. They have only trailed once this season when entering the second quarter. Four times they have held the lead, and twice they’ve ended the first with a tie.

Charlotte:

Currently, the Hounds are in second in the league with 90 goals, trailing behind the undefeated Denver Outlaws.

Charlotte’s Ryan Young (21pts) and Peet Poillon (20pts) come in at seventh and tenth in the league in scoring. Either of these two could put up six or seven points in a game without warning.

Charlotte has scored no less than thirteen points in a game this season, only Hamilton and Denver can also claim this.

The Charlotte Hounds are towards the bottom in shots on goal percentage with .581 but are tied for fourth in the league for shots on goal at 173.

The last two weeks Charlotte has failed to score in the second quarter. While they won one of these two matchups it seems to be a struggle for them.

Charlotte has lost three of four home games this season, something they will need to change in week eight against the Bayhawks who have won two of three on the road.

Advantage: Charlotte

Chesapeake has been a dominant team when it comes to scoring, but Charlotte’s 90 goals on the season are enough to put them ahead. Overall they’re a very well-rounded midfield, with Poillon, Matt Danowski, Young, and Lusby all contributing, as well as rookie Mike Sawyer showing promise. This is a group of athletic guys who can pass the ball. While Chesapeake certainly has the talent, the scoring is left to a few key guys, and that doesn’t always get the job done in a game.

Defense:

Chesapeake:

Chesapeake rests at fourth in faceoffs with a .480 faceoff percentage, winning 86 of 179.

Chesapeake’s attack, including Ben Rubeor and Drew Westervelt have both posted three power play goals, demonstrating a strong defense that takes advantage of man-up situations.

Chesapeake has the fewest goals against in the league with 67, a sign of strong defense and goal tending.

The Bayhawks have not let up more than 15 points in any game this season, including the Denver Outlaws, who the Hounds gave up 21 points to.

Charlotte:

Charlotte is seventh in faceoff percentage, .442, only winning 92 of 208 faceoffs.

Matt Danowski and Ryan Young both split their time as attackmen and midfielders, offering flexibility.

Charlotte boasts a total of 224 groundballs on the season. 56 of these come from faceoff man, Tim Fallon, best in the league.

Matt Danowski is third in the league behind Matt Rabil and Kevin Crowley for shots on goal, putting up 35.

Advantage: Chesapeake

The Bayhawks are a well-rounded team with their defense and attack stepping up to make great passes, keep the ball moving and keep it away from their end of the field. Strong scoring efforts from their attack including Rubeor and Westervelt, as well as plenty of assists demonstrate a true team dynamic that many organizations strive for. Charlotte will need to find ways to get around Chesapeake’s strong defense and set the tone early, they’ll be looking to Danowski and Young to start their scoring efforts early and maintain long possessions to keep the ball away from Chesapeake.

Goaltending:

Chesapeake:

Between the pipes Kip Turner is a force, putting up the lowest goals against average of 9.11.

Turner claims a league best .617 save percentage.

In week six against the New York Lizards he made an unheard of 15 of 22 saves.

Charlotte:

The Hounds’ Adam Ghitleman has played an impressive 360 minutes this season but has a below .500 save percentage, at .453.

When considering Ghitleman’s save percentage, it is also worth noting that in four out of six games he has recorded less than a .500 save percentage.

Ghitleman rests in the middle of the pack with an average of 11.66 goals allowed each game.

Advantage: Chesapeake

Hands down, Kip Turner has the best numbers in the lacrosse right now. Charlotte will have to work to get themselves past Turners quick reflexes and outstanding saves. Charlotte’s Ghitleman has been far from perfect but it’s also worth keeping in mind that a successful goalie also needs the support of their defense.

In closing: This game could be a real turning point for either team. Chesapeake’s 3-0 start to the season seems as if it was a long time ago. Charlotte had a chance at a winning record last week and fell, putting them again in the losing category. Both teams need a win to keep them going. Chesapeake is looking like they may be playoff-bound, but they’ll need to play hard and put up points to do so, while Charlotte is looking to get back to .500 but needs to find their way past the league’s best goal tending. This game could go either way, but it’s a chance for one of these teams to demonstrate their power.